I must be perfectly honest when talking about quinoa (which, to the best of my knowledge is pronounced “keen-wa”): I usually find it pretty boring. I first heard of the stuff about two years ago, and everyone who had eaten it waxed philosophic about its wonders. First of all, it’s a grass, not a grain, but please don’t ask me what the difference is, because I couldn’t tell you to save my life. The only significance this has for me is that it’s kosher for Passover, which seemed like a big plus for a time when rice, pasta, and bread are pretty much off the menu. It’s also high in protein, which makes it a healthy, complete meal with just a few tweaks.
However, even in my grain-deprived Passover state, I was really quite underwhelmed by quinoa. It was mediocre at best, somewhat bitter, and otherwise not particularly flavorful. Somewhat disappointed, I decided that I would probably never make it again.
I lived quinoa-free until a couple weeks ago, when a coworker brought in a salad made with quinoa and tomatoes for a group lunch. It looked light and fresh and summery, and I was tempted enough to try it. Having had such mediocre experience with quinoa, I was surprised to find that it was actually incredibly delicious; the juicy tomato contrasted beautifully with slightly toothy quinoa, and the runoff from the tomatoes created a light dressing for the entire salad. She threw in a few herbs for good measure, and called it a day.
This experience got me thinking about what else could be done with quinoa, and I decided to put together this salad, which is merely a variation on the one she made. I substituted mango for the tomato, and used mint to bring out a cool, refreshing feeling. For a dressing, I mixed vinegar and brown sugar to get a sweet-and-sour kick with a little complexity. Whether made savory with tomatoes or sweet with mango, this salad made me understand why people fell in love with quinoa.
